Shocked by DTB B2 results – Failed only in Schreiben despite 58/60 in Sprechen. What are my next steps?
Hi everyone,
I moved to Germany from India in May 2025 and have been continuously learning German since. Last year, I passed both my B1 exam and the Leben in Deutschland test.
I recently completed a 400-hour Berufssprachkurs (DTB B2) and wrote the telc B2 DTB exam on September 18th, 2026. I just received my score report, and I am completely shocked by the result:
- Lesen: 36.00 / 60 (B2)
- Hören: 36.00 / 60 (B2)
- Schreiben: 20.00 / 60 (unter B2)
- Sprechen: 58.00 / 60 (B2 sehr gut)
Result: Nicht bestanden (Failed overall). Under DTB rules, you need at least 24 points in your weakest module to pass, so scoring 20 in writing failed the entire exam for me.
I am genuinely confused and struggling to process this. During my course, writing was one of my strongest areas. My teacher even read my letters out loud in class as positive examples a couple of times. On the exam day, I found Lesen and Hören extremely difficult, yet I managed to pass both. Schreiben felt fine to me, so seeing a 20/60 is a huge surprise.
I have a few questions for anyone who has been in a similar situation or knows how Telc / BAMF procedures work:
- Re-evaluation / Neubewertung: Is it worth requesting an official re-evaluation through Telc? Has anyone successfully gotten points raised in the writing section, or are they extremely strict about specific formatting/task requirements?
- Einsichtnahme (Exam Inspection): Can I request to view my exam paper to see where I lost points? How does that process work through the VHS/Prüfungszentrum?
- Retaking the Exam: Since DTB requires retaking all four parts (no partial retakes allowed), can I get a BAMF approval (Wiederholungsantrag) for a free 200-hour repeat course and exam retake?
- Timeline: How soon am I allowed to re-register for the exam?